


Fateful Lovers

by LuckyIzzy



Series: Ironically Strange [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Past Stephen Strange/Christine Palmer - Freeform, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 02:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15378711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyIzzy/pseuds/LuckyIzzy
Summary: In the world of soul mates, Tony Stark was born without a soul mate. Friendship,Love all seems to escape from his grasp. He had decided to leave his heart frozen into a glacier, but Stephen Strange came into his life and melted all of it with his radiance.





	Fateful Lovers

Till 20, Tony had hoped his writing would appear. After all, there were many whose marks appeared later, much later in their lives. But after that, the hope had begun to fade. No marks, no words, no letters, nothing. Tony somehow had to get used to the fact he did not have a soulmate.  
Everyone is born with a soul mark. A name with colour only matching their soulmate with their name on it, or a mark similar to their soulmate, in some cases even the first things the soulmates tell each other. For some, the soulmark appears later in their lives. But Tony’s mark never came. It was a very, very rare scenario but not unheard of.  
Thus Tony had told himself again and again that there were more important things than soulmates, like friendship or maybe loving someone for whoever they are not just because of some stupid mark. But he felt stupid when Pepper broke their years long relationship just because she finally met her soulmate.  
She said, “You don’t understand Tony.”  
“ **Of course, I don’t** ,” He had fired back, “In case you still have not noticed I do not have a _mark_.”  
She sighed, “That is exactly why Tony. We can never work it out.”  
“Pepper you can’t leave me for some supernatural bullshit and break everything we have built over the years.”

She had not listened. She left him.

More insomnia, more overnights in his workshop, more alcohol.

 

 

Rhodey was his friend, best friend even. But watching him with his wife, gave him bitter tang of jealousy, he was jealous of the feeling he can never have. That is exactly why he was selfishly happy seeing Steve. He was asleep for 70 years. Steve’s mark had appeared later in his life but he never got to confirm it, a five pointed star on his hip bone. Anyway, he was pretty much sure, his soulmate was either dead or hella old. 

If it is not love, Tony could try friendship.

 

Then Steve’s soul mate had come, like a cliché twist in some sappy romance. _Ok now Tony was being a cynic, but you cannot blame him._. Then Steve left him. He does not really blame Steve for leaving him…..just maybe he could have respected their old friendship a little and not leave him dying in Siberia just for his old buddy and soul mate.

 

Secretly, Tony hates himself for expecting something anyway.  
He is meant to be alone, meant not to love. For a genius, he is very much idiotic to even hope for such a thing.

 

 

Then he met Peter Parker, even though Tony would never admit it- deep inside Peter feels like a son he would never have. First time after a long time, there was a tiny hint of glacier melting inside his heart.  
He was scared. He was scared so much. He felt like the moment all that glacier melts, all that would be left is his shattered heart while he picked up the pieces once again, all alone.  
But he cannot help it. 

 

That is why, when he found all the ice inside his heart has melted and made a puddle of unwanted affection for the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Stephen Strange, his first instinct was to lock himself up inside the Stark Tower and never ever come out.  
He does not want his heart in any more pieces, thank you very much.

 

But he could not help it. Day by day, he fell deeper into the endless tunnel of longing. He would look forward to their meetings, the slight smile from Stephen, scent of him when the cloak sometimes floated over to him and the occasional touches.  
He knew he should just be happy with their ‘dates’(albeit one sided) in libraries of the sanctum, of fighting villains together, and during avengers meetings.

 

But selfishly and stupidly, Tony could not help but hope, _maybe Stephen does not have a mark either, or maybe his soul mate is dead_. Tony knew he should not hope that. He should just wish for the happiness of the one he loves, but sometimes, he imagined Stephen being his lover where they were soul mates.

Stupid brilliant mind of his and colorful imaginations.

 

Then one day he saw it.  
On Stephen’s wrist, which was usually hidden by gloves, lied a beautiful colorful tattoo of a butterfly. He had taken of his gloves while showing Tony a complex magic. If Tony had to say, the butterfly was turquoise in color, but it had a transparent hue in it just like Stephen’s eyes did with a fiery red glow at the corners. It was so beautiful, it took Tony’s breathe away, _Yup, this suits Stephen,_ he thought.

But along with it, he felt a heavy weight on himself. All his wistful thinking was in vain. 

Still, like a drowning man clutching the straws, he asked, “You still have not met your soulmate.”

 

Stephen was startled at this change of conversation, from complex sorcery to soul mate.  
“Ah yes, I have.”  
As Tony stared at him, Stephen felt a tiny bit awkward, “Umm, we could not really work it along so we just broke up and went our separate paths.”

 

Tony took a deep breathe, _If you cannot be happy, at least the person you love should be happy_. He stood up, “You know, you should get back with them. I don’t have anything to do with your personal matters, but,” he swallowed, “Just….it is a lot harder on people without a soulmate, so you should really be gratefu-”

“Did you lose your soulmate?”,Stephen was staring at him intensely now with those eyes.  
Tony laughed bitterly, “I...I don’t even have a soulmate. No mark, no words, nothing.”  
Stephen looked slightly taken aback. 

An awkward silence fell over the room. Tony figured it was his cue to live. He was getting up from the seat but then- “You know Tony, Christine and I never really clicked together. I always thought this marking thing was stupid. What was some supernatural thing to decide who we are meant to be with. That is something only we can decide for ourselves.”, Stephen’s voice spoke up.

“You do not need to repeat the words I recited to myself all these years.”, Tony needed to get out of that place as soon as possible before he created a scene.  
“Anyway what I was saying is, I fell in love with someone else. And I am sure what i feel for that person is way, way stronger than what i had felt for Christine and if I ever get the person I am not giving them up for the rest of the universe.”

 

Tony felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on him. He scoffed, “Then what are you waiting for Doc, just go and tell them.”

 

“I will. Until now, I was just afraid, they will reject me for their soulmate but I am not anymore.”  
“That’s good. Anyway, I’ll just-”, Tony could not remain in this room longer. He felt suffocated and he wondered whether another anxiety attack will hit him.

“Anthony Stark, would you be interested in forming a romantic relationship with me?”

Tony thought his ears were playing tricks on him as he stared at the former neurosurgeon wide-eyed.

“I will not leave you for my soulmate or anyone else-”

Tony could not accept this, even though it was a golden opportunity. “Strange, I don’t want your pity.”, he replied stockily.

“It is not, Tony. I really do love you.”, Stephen looked sincere.

Tony laughed, “You know I am too much high-maintenance.”  
“I fail to see how that is a problem.”  
“I will nuke you if you ditch me.”  
“Not a problem either.”  
“You will probably turn the time back. But if you ever hurt me or two-time me I will stalk you and make your life hell.”  
“There is more chance of raining down men than I leaving you.”  
“How do I know all of this is not an empty promise.”  
“Just give me a chance, Tony.”

Tony sighed, “Well, here you have a chance.” Then he looked side way, he felt a dull heat in his ears, “Only because I love you. There I said it-”

“You love me?” Stephen looked taken aback for the second time in a day, which was a very, very rare occurrence.

“Hmmph. You probably used that shining gem to see the outcome if you confessed to me.”, Tony was still not looking at Stephen.

Stephen laughed, “Of course not.” He just gently tilted Tony’s chin and kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to tell me how it was and point out my mistakes! I am novice at this and hope to improve loads.


End file.
